PRORODEO Sports News - July 2, 2026

ProRodeo Hall of Famer Hadley Barrett

started his career as a

contestant and formed his own dance band, but found his place in rodeo history behind the microphone. Hadley Barrett announced all of the big rodeos and a great number of the smaller ones across the country. He was among the first to announce while on horseback. PRCA file photo

A member of the famous Wright family rodeo dynasty, Stetson Wright is a 10x PRCA World Champion (AA, 2019-23, 2025); (BR, 2020, 2022, 2025); and (SB, 2021) and his record-break ing PRORODEO career is not done yet. PRCA photo by Kathryn Coleman

“God bless America again, look at all the troubles she’s been in. Wash her pretty face, dry her eyes and then, God bless America again. Well they call her Old Glory, red, white and blue, to me she’s the most beautiful sight in the world. But you know, she’s appeared in many places where we didn’t neces sarily want to be, but thanks to our servicemen and women, their ded ication, their courage, and many times supreme sacrifice, we remain a free land. We’re made up of quite a cross-section of people, come from many walks of life, but our common bond is being proud to be Ameri cans. So, I ask you, when you see this flag, stand, make her smile, help to make this a country she can always wave proudly over. And let us all make our pledge that if we ever see her in trouble again, that we’ll wash her pretty face, dry her eyes and then, God bless America again.” Rodeo is truly a part of this country that should not and will not die. It is man against animal – an unlikely scenario, both unique and inspiring. Happy Birthday, America!

His records might not stand anymore, but Larry Mahan definitely will go into rodeo’s history books as one of the greatest cowboys of all time. Only 14 years old when he broke into professional rodeo, Mahan developed an individual talent for all three riding events - each requiring entirely different styles and skills - that has been matched by just a few in rodeo history. He used those skills to capture five consecutive world all-around titles from 1966-70, a record that was matched nearly a decade later by Tom Ferguson but not surpassed until 1994 by Ty Murray. Mahan, who claimed world bull riding titles in the 1960s, came back to take a then-record sixth world all-around title in 1973, another mark broken by Murray in 1998. Maturity, both as a contestant and as an individual, saw Mahan overcome his natural shyness to become the best living advertisement in the history of professional rodeo. PRCA file photo

July 2, 2026 PRORODEO SPORTS NEWS DIGITAL MAGAZINE 13